Variable speed ironer



5 4 3a EL-muggy I 1" March 23, 1943. MORELLA 2,314,415

VARIABLE SPEED IRONER Filed March 24, 1941 INVENTOR FRANK MORELLA ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VARIABLE SPEED IRONER Frank Morella, Milwaukee, Wis. Application March 24, 1941, Serial No.-384,853

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to power driven ironing machines, and more particularly to domestic ironing machines of the type embodying a rotary roll and a cooperating ironing shoe.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide means for varying the speed of the rotary roll according to the type and character of the fabrics being ironed.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide an exceptionally simple, durable and compact mechanism for varying the speed of the roll, which can be readily applied to ironing machines now on the market without any material change in the construction thereof.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a motor rockably suspended from beneath the table of the ironing machine, having an adjustable pulley on its armature shaft with means for moving the motor toward or away from the ironing roll and its drive pulley, so as to vary the effective diameter of the adjustable pulley and thereby bring about the driving of the ironing roll at different ironing speeds in a simple and expeditious manner.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a domestic ironing machine embodying a table supporting a depending bracket with a motor pivotally mounted thereon and a forwardly extending operating lever secured to the motor extending through a latch plate carried by the table for holding the motor and the lever in selected adjusted positions, the motor having an adjustable pulley on its armature shaft for receiving the drive belt of the driven ironing roll, the adjustable pulley being expansible to vary the active diameter thereof according to the position of the motor relative to the drive pulley and ironing roll.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in vhich drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a domestic ironing machine showing my novel appliance incorporated therewith, parts of the machine being shown broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail, transverse, sectional view through the ironing machine taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view through the ironing machine taken on the line 3-8 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the means for rockably supporting the electric drive motor from beneath the table. I

Figure 4 is a detail, fragmentary, sectional view illustrating the pulley in its expanded position for driving the ironing roll at a low speed.

Figure 5 is a detail, horizontal, sectional view and taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, looking similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter D generally indicates a domestic ironing machine having incorporated therein a novel, variable drive mechanism M.

The domestic ironing machine D is of the type now found on the market, and includes a table Ill supported by legs or standards Ii. Rotatably mounted a'bovethe table i0 is the ironing roll I2 which cooperates with the ironing shoe l3. In order to bring about the operation of the ironing roll, a drive pulley I4 is provided. This drive pulley I4 is operatively connected to the ironing rollthrough a suitable speed reducing mechanism and clutch housed within a casing IS. A removable cover 16 can be provided for the drive pulley l4 and the pulley belt [1. This pulley belt I! extends through a slot l8 formed in the table top Ill. The drive pulley I4 is driven from the belt l1, and the belt I! is in turn operated from 2,16 Ieiilectric motor l9 mounted below the table In accordance with my invention, I arrange under the table top ill, a supporting bracket 20. This bracket can be of an inverted U-shape, and includes an attaching base 2| and depending side walls 22. Suitable fastening elements such as bolts 23 can be employed for rigidly securing the bracket to the under surface of the table top. The side walls 22 of the bracket 20 adjacent to their rear corners carry adjustable bearing pins 24. These bearing pins 24 extend into bearing openings 25 formed in the upper ends of rock plates 26. These rock plates 28 are firmly clamped to the bearing bosses 21 formed on the shaft 28 of the motor It extends through these bearing bosses and one end of the armature shaft is extended for the reception of the adjustable pulley 20.

The adjustable pulley 28 can take various forms and for the purpose of illustration, the pulley has been shown to include companion cone sections 30' and ii. The section 30 i keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 28, and the cone section II is feathered on the shaft for sliding movement toward and away from the cone section 30.

An expansion spring 32 is coiled about the shaft and bears against the cone section 3i, and a stop nut 33 fastened to said shaft. Hence, the spring 82 functions to normally urge the cone section 3| toward the cone section 30. The pulley belt I1 is trained about the pulley 29 between the cone sections 80 and II.

By swinging the motor on the bearing pins 24, the motor can be moved toward and away from the drive pulley l4 and the ironing roll l2, and

as the belt I! is of a fixed length, the movement of the motor will bring about the expansion and contraction of the adjustable pulley 29, whereby to vary the effective diameter of said adjustable pulley.

One simple and preferred means for bringing about the adjustment of the motor includes a forwardly extending lever 34. This lever 34 has its inner end rigidly secured to one motor rock plate 26 by fastening elements 35. The lever extends toward the front of the machine and through a guide slot 36 formed in a latch plate 31. This latch plate 31 is rigidly secured to the table and to an adjacent leg I i.

The outer end of the lever 34 is provided with pulley 2! isdecreased, and the pulley H and the roll i2 will be driven at a decreased speed. When the lever 34 is moved to its complete lowered position, the lowest speed obtainable will be had.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that I have provided an exceptionally simple and durable mechanism for bringing about the driving of theroll of a domestic ironing machine at different speeds. It also can be seen that my mechanism can be easily and readily incorporated with standard types of domestic ironing machines now commonly sold in the open market.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In an ironing machine, a table, a rotary ironing roll disposed above the table, a drive pulley for the ironing roll, an inverted U-shaped bracket secured to the lower face of the table having side walls, an electric drive motor disposed between said walls. supporting blocks rigidly secured to the casing of the motor, pivot pins securing the blocks to the side walls adjacent to the inner corners of said side walls and blocks, a variable speed pulley secured to the armature shaft of the. motor including facing cone sections, one of said sections being slidable toward and away from the other section, means normally urging the movable cone section toward the other cone section, a pulley belt connecting said pulleys together, an operating lever rigidly secured to the motor extending toward the front of the machine, and a latch plate carried by the machine for holding the lever and the motor in different selected adjusted positions.

a manipulating handle 38. One wall of the guide slot 36 has formed therein spaced keeper notches I9 and a spring 40 can be provided for normally urging the lever 34 towards this wall into a selected keeper notch. The notches can be suitably marked with indicia ll, for indicating the position of the lever and motor to bring about desired speeds of the ironing roll.

In operation of my device, when the lever 24 is swung to its highest raised position as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the belt i1 is riding on the highest parts of the cones and, consequently, the roll i2 will be driven at its highest speed. By moving the lever 34 down, the motor will be swung away from the drive pulley II and the roll i2, and, consequently, the belt II will expand the sections of the pulley 29, that is, will move the pulley section 3| away from the pulley section in against the tension of the coil spring 32 and, consequently the active diameter of the 2. In an ironing machine, a table, a rotary ironing roll disposed above the table, a drive pulley for the ironing roll, an inverted U shaped bracket secured to the lower face of the'table having side walls, an electric drive motor disposed between said side walls, means rockably connecting the drive motor to said walls, a variable speed pulley secured to the armature shaft of the motor including facing cone sections, one of said sections being slidable toward and away from the other section, means normally urging the movable cone section toward the other cone section, a pulley belt connecting said pulleys together, and" an operating lever rigidly carried by the motor extending toward the front of the machine within'convenient reach of the. operator of said machine for rocking said motor on the bracket.

. FRANK MORELLA. 

